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Greetings constituents and neighbors,
We just finished up the 2022 legislative session. As the Co-chair of the Ways and Means committee I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish. Together, House Democrats worked to urgently address the homelessness crisis, support working families and small businesses, drive down the cost of living, invest in community safety and violence prevention, and build stronger schools.
There’s more work to be done. As your Representative, I am working toward an Oregon where everyone has opportunity and is treated fairly under the law. We also need to build an economy that works for everyone, not just large corporations and the very wealthy. That is my commitment to you.
Here are some links to read about some of what I worked on this session and learn more about how to get in touch. I want to hear from you--your voice and your opinions are important.
Tawna Sanchez
Economic Recovery & Workforce Development
Key Investments:
- An investment in workforce development to help workers access the training they will need to succeed, including 200 million for Future Ready Oregon (Senate Bill 1545)
- Over 100 million to help rebuild critical infrastructure in rural Oregon, which will support local economies and create jobs across the state
Key Policies:
A Place to Call Home
Key Investments: Oregon Democrats propose $400M to tackle homelessness and housing statewide - OPB
- A $400 million package to tackle the urgent housing and homeless crisis:
- $165 million for homelessness services
- $215 million to build and preserve affordable housing
- $20 million to improve access to homeownership
Key Policies:
Education and Child Care
Key Investments:
- $300 million education package to address the staffing crisis in Oregon’s schools, create summer learning opportunities, support wild-fire impacted school districts, and address education disparities by funding the Pacific Islander Student Success Plan and adding $5 million to the African American/Black Student Success Plan.
- $100 million investment to expand access to childcare and rebuild the childcare workforce.
Key Policies:
Access to Healthcare and Healthy Communities
Key Investments:
- Over $300 million for healthcare needs, including:
- Protecting health coverage for low-income Oregonians (House Bill 4035)
- $150 million to support behavioral health workers and providers (House Bill 4004) Oregon superintendent protections bill passes House - OPB
- $45 million to address the crisis in Oregon’s health care workforce at OHSU
- Support for Oregon nurses who are experiencing burnout from the extreme stress of the pandemic (House Bill 4003)
Key Policies:
Equity and Justice For All
Key Investments:
- Smart investments in community safety, including:
- $15 million to support Community-Based Organizations working to prevent violence
- $5 million to expand hospital-based community violence prevention programs
- $13 million to help local communities around the state clean up trash and provide sanitation services
- $14 million to support services for crime victims
- $10 million for the Oregon Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Fund
Key Policies:
Protecting Communities From Climate Change
Key Investments:
Key Polices:
Bringing Every Oregonian Along
Key Investments:
- A nearly $300 million cost of living relief package including:
- Direct, one-time relief payments of $600 that will help more than 240,000 low wage workers cover their essential needs (House Bill 4157)
- $100 million to address the shortage of affordable childcare across the state (House Bill 4005)
- Increased outreach to help working families access tax relief (House Bill 4117)
Key Policies:
Legislative Priorities for My Office this Session
House Bill 4098
This legislation accomplishes two goals: expand the work of the Alcohol Drug Policy Commission (ADPC) with state agencies and establishment of a new fund and board with the State Treasury and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to manage funds from the Opioid Settlement. In Oregon, the ADPC is a state agency designed to improve the delivery of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for Oregonians experiencing a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Following lawsuits from several state Attorney Generals, a nationwide settlement was reached in 2021, providing $26 billion in funding to states and local municipalities over 18 years to fund prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Approximately 45 percent of Oregon’s settlement funds will go into a “Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Fund”, with the remaining 55 percent allocated to cities and counties.
House Bill 4102
In the 2019 long session we passed House Bill 2625, that convened a taskforce examined the scope of the problem of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in Oregon. One of the recommendations of the task force that was included in the final report concerned the hiring of a Tribal Relations Liaison within the Oregon State Police (OSP), and this would create a centralized contact person for all nine federally recognized tribes and Native people to improve OSP policies and procedures. Also included in the bill is training for the Department of Police Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in order to provide information to officers in state, county, and local jurisdictions throughout the state regarding Public Law 280, which permits jurisdiction over tribal members and other people on reservations.
Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns that you have about any of these legislative priorities or other issues of interest. We remain steadfast in our commitment to raise unheard voices and speak truth to power. I remain honored to represent North and Northeast Portland and grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.
Our work continues.
--Tawna Sanchez
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1443
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-273, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TawnaSanchez@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sanchez
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